EAC dilemma: Unpaid dues shadow South Sudan’s SG bid
Presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia (left), Salva Kiir of South Sudan (centre) and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda (right) look at the new depiction of the East African Community on a map after Somalia signed the Treaty of Accession to the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC, becoming the eighth member of the bloc on December 15, 2023.
The East African Community (EAC) is facing a stark dilemma as it prepares to appoint its next secretary-general: whether to uphold the rotational principle and allow South Sudan to take the helm, or to confront the fact that Juba is among the bloc’s worst defaulters on financial contributions.
With institutions in Arusha paralysed by months of unpaid salaries and mounting arrears, the prospect of entrusting leadership to a non-remitting state has ignited fierce debate over accountability, equity and the future credibility of regional integration.
